Showing posts with label Phoenix Open. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phoenix Open. Show all posts

Friday, 11 March 2016

Spieth Paints Bleak Picture at Valspar

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Jordan Spieth is in danger of missing his second cut this year after carding an opening-round five-over-par 76 at the Valspar Championship in Florida.

The American, 22, is nine shots behind American joint leaders Keegan Bradley, Ken Duke and Charles Howell III.

Spieth, who will defend his Masters title in April, also missed the cut at the Northern Trust Open in February.

The defending champion never recovered from making five bogeys and a birdie in the first seven holes.

Typically, my history (on my off days), I'm able to hold that around even par and I'm just shooting too high a number," Spieth said. "(I) didn't quite squeak out even today, even though it was an even kind of round, and hopefully less wind tomorrow and I can work hard to play on the weekend."

"I just didn't hit enough greens," Spieth said. "I had the opportunities on a few holes today and actually there was a lot of holes where I thought if I hit great shots posing and it's 10, 15 yards off on the distance based on the gust of the wind.

"It was a very tough day."

"I got off to a poor start and I was behind the eight-ball with gusty wind on a tough golf course," said Spieth, who found himself getting tentative after repeatedly flying greens.

"It's so tough on some of these putts down the hill to hit them as hard as we have to hit them," Spieth explained. "... You don't see it. It's an adjustment. It's something you got to trust. It's one thing to practice on the greens and get used to it, it's another to actually do it.

"What good is kicking the door other than hurting my foot and (having to) withdraw?," Spieth said good-naturedly. "I'm kidding. No, I'll be fine."


Wednesday, 24 February 2016

Tiger Woods Can't Hurry Love


US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III believes Tiger Woods can play in this year's match with Europe, but his injuries have been "underestimated".

Woods, 40, has not played competitively since August and has had three back operations in the last 18 months.

On Tuesday he tweeted a clip of himself hitting a ball into a virtual screen and wrote: "Progressing nicely."

Love said: "If he can play 10 or 12 tournaments in a row, I think he can get his game back and make our team."

Woods, who has spent a record 683 weeks as world number one, is now ranked 445th and his agent Mark Steinberg recently denied reports that the 14-time major winner had suffered a setback with his rehabilitation.

A winner of 79 PGA Tour events, Woods is one of Love's vice-captains for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine as the US attempt to halt a run of three successive defeats, and has targeted becoming the first playing vice-captain in the history of the event.

"Tiger is very adamant he can handle both roles," Love told BBC World News. "I think Tiger will work hard enough, if his body will allow it.

"If he keeps stopping and starting - and the injuries keep piling up - it's going to be tough for him, but he's very determined. We've seen that."

Woods played only 11 events in 2015, carding his worst round as a professional with a 13-over-par 85 at the Memorial Tournament in June.

He missed the cut at The Open and PGA Championship but, in his final event before injury, he posted rounds of 64 and 65 in finishing in a tie for 10th at the Wyndham Championship.

"We've underestimated his injuries," Love said. "He has really been held down the last few years, but he can play.

"Get him out there on the golf course and he still wants to do it. He just needs a full season, like any athlete, to get himself straightened out."

The Ryder Cup runs from 30 September to 2 October.